the fires that burned and the graves we made
by Bitway
Summary: Galo only wanted to know about Lio's family and if he could return to them. If only he knew what it was like for a Burnish to go home.


"You know, a lot of Burnish-" ex-Burnish. But, Galo knew Lio still preferred to be called one. "-managed to go back home. Be reunited with their families. Ever think bout going back to see yours?"

It was a simple question that had been on his mind lately. He'd seen how some Burnish were able to return to their previous lives, crying at being able to reunite with old loved ones, to be with their family that they were forcefully torn away from. It wasn't easy for all of them, but those happy few made him think- didn't Lio have a family to go back to?

That's why he had proposed the question. It was nothing more than simple curiosity.

Lio took it differently.

And Galo would never forget the look on his face.

How he had bit down on his lip before clenching his teeth. His eyes had gone wide before narrowing, an attempt to hide that second of hurt behind anger. Galo swears that if the Promare were still around, he'd be seeing flames come from his fist, even enveloping the other.

Lio doesn't speak, doesn't move. He'd been holding his breath, clenching his fists far tighter than he ever could. If it weren't for the gloves he had been wearing, he's certain that his nails would be digging into his own flesh.

Without a word, he gets to his feet. Doesn't bother to announce what he's doing, where he's going.

"Hey, Lio?!"

Burning Rescue's door slams shut, echoing throughout the whole building.

And that's when Galo realizes that maybe, just _maybe_, he brought up something he shouldn't have.

"Was it really that bad of a question?" He muses.

"You do know that some Burnish can't go back to their family, right?" Aina pipes in from behind.

"Of course I know that! I just wanted to know if he could go back to his own. Figured he might be missing them, you know?"

"It's not that simple," she sighs. "By the looks of it, you really shouldn't have brought it up…"

Galo's gaze rests on the door Lio had left through. He really didn't think a question like that could hurt, but then again he didn't know the other man's past very well. It wasn't something brought up often and he didn't speak of it willingly. Little bits would seep through, but in the end it would always revolve around being a Burnish.

Maybe he should have let the other bring this up on his own time…as if that would happen. Now, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt eat at him for pissing Lio off and seeing that moment of pain on his face. So much for just trying to have a normal conversation with that man.

The firefighter runs his hands through his hair, scratching at it before letting out a loud yell. His nearby teammates were unfazed by his outburst. There was no surprise to see him jump to his feet with the intent to chase after Lio.

The only problem was, he wasn't sure where the other had gotten too. In that short time he'd left, it seemed as if he just disappeared. There was no trace of Lio hanging around Burning Rescue's base, the pizzeria, nor being at home. Galo even tried to get in contact with Gueira and Meis for some help, but had no luck.

Growing frustrated, he decides to head off to the frozen lake- or what was left of it. What remained was a crater after the chaos had struck. A small puddle of water was beginning to form in the center, but it would take years of rainfall to make it return to the sizable lake it once was.

While it sucked not having any ice to skate upon, he still found the place soothing. Just being away from the city and able to enjoy some peace and quiet did the trick. Skating did help, he'd argue, but so did stretching and taking a walk along the edge of the crater.

And doing so helped him come across Lio's motorcycle. Which meant that he was here. Galo began to scan the area, hoping to find some type of human life. Lio was here. And he would find him.

So, he takes a huge breath in, holds it for a second before shouting with all his might-

"Lioooooooo!"

The name echoes and anyone within the area would have heard it, Lio included. Galo was quite proud of his shout and how loud it rung throughout the forest. The same could not be said for the person coming up from behind.

"Did you really have to go and shout my name like that?"

"Lio!" Galo turns with an energetic and relieved smile on his face. "I've found you!"

Lio only sighed, rolling his eyes. Of course this idiot would be on a search for him after he'd stormed out. As much as he wished for some more privacy, he guessed his alone time was up. It was time to go back. To his new home. Hopefully, Galo had forgotten about his earlier question.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like it.

Galo's grin had turned into a thin line, his eyes held that glint of determination as they fell onto his won. Water he was planning, Lio would be unable to avoid it.

"My parents are dead."

"Huh?"

Lio blinks, stunned by that sudden fact spouted at him. If it was one thing he was expecting, it hadn't been this.

"You know the day I met the governor and what he did? My parents were in that fire. They didn't survive it."

"Why are you bringing that up?"

"Well, I wanted to apologize for asking you about your family. I didn't know if sorry would work." Galo scratches the back of his head, looking like he was still thinking of a way to properly apologize.

"And informing me about your parents was the way to go about it?"

"Yeah! I figured if you didn't want to answer my question, I'd do it myself!"

While he seemed fairly proud of his response, Lio gave him a deadpan stare. He let out an annoyed sigh as his arms crossed. A hand was raised against his head, rubbing his temple. How this man's mind worked was a total mystery at times.

Silence fills the air between them, not even the wind brushing against the two makes a sound. The air feels suffocating, tormenting him to rain his voice and speak. Lio walks forward, hoping that he could brush off this feeling. It stays, lingers in his chest. As he stands at the crater's edge, his gaze focuses on where that old lab used to be.

"My parents died because of me."

"Huh?"

"I'm sure that even you have to know the law- The Burnish Protection Crime Act. Hide a Burnish and get arrested. It's a stupid and heavily abused law," he mutters bitterly. "My parents didn't have the heart to give me up, even after I became a Burnish."

His gaze lowers, eyes slowly shut. He has to stop; breath in and out. Hands grip onto his elbows.

"But you can't hide your true identity for long. And in the end, the Freeze Force came after me…and my parents."

_"Mom! Dad!" A younger Lio called out. A hand reaching out for them._

_It was immediately struck down by an ice bullet. The boy cried out in pain as a block of ice formed around his wrist. Smoke rising from it._

_A loud and vile laughter came from the one who had pulled the trigger. An officer dawned in the Freeze Force uniform._

_"Don't even think about fighting back, Burnish," the word had come out with a condescending and sinister tone. It made the young boy flinch. "Look at what you did, getting your parents involved in this."_

_The officer gripped onto his parent's arms, handcuffs being slapped onto them. They didn't bother to plea for their own case. They only cried out-_

_"Please, don't hurt our son!"_

_"He hasn't done anything wrong!"_

_"A Burnish is still a Burnish in the end. A living threat that should be death with. And you were hiding him, so you'll face the charges to."_

"They only sought to protect me…" He gulped, voice shaking.

_"Let my mom and dad go!"_

_"Sorry, kid, that's the law."_

_"No…" He sniffles, tears on the edge of his eyes. Why was this happening? To him? To them? Just because he could control some flames? Because some strange fire had awakened in him?_

_It shouldn't be like this._

_This was all wrong._

_His flames never hurt anyone._

_"Let…them…go!"_

_With a loud cry, the ice begins to lose its form, being enveloped by the flames sizzling to break free. A fire erupts from his grasp and slowly, the flames envelop his whole person._

_Then the officer beside him._

_And then the whole house._

"And in the end I…"

_He was in a sea of his own flames. Nothing hurt him, but everything else was being burnt to a crisp. Wood and flesh alike._

_"Mom…? Dad…?"_

_There was no response. All the bodies on the floor hadn't moved, but the fire surrounding them was still fresh with life._

_Slow steps were taken forward, wanting to see and hope that his parents were unaffected by the flames like he was._

_But they weren't Burnish._

_They weren't monsters._

"I…"

Before he could continue, he feels arms wrap around him. Warmth envelops him, something he didn't know he needed until now. It felt nice, comforting to be embraced like this.

"I'm sorry I asked. If I would have known it would make you cry, I wouldn't have brought it up at all."

Crying. Lio was crying?

He didn't believe it. Only in his past had tears fallen over his parents. Not now. While stuck in Galo's embrace, he raises a hand to touch at his cheeks just to make sure what he said was true.

And he was right.

Tears had fallen and his body was trembling from that nightmarish memory. He hadn't been aware of his own reactions, subconsciously forcing himself to feel numb to all this. But, his body reacted, gave his true feelings away. And the flames weren't here to comfort him. Galo was.

"It wasn't your fault."

A sharp breath was taken in. Keeping up his usual cool image was impossible now. Hearing such kind words from Galo made him want to cry more. All he'd ever heard was the opposite. It was his fault. For a lot of things. For his parent's death.

"You would have never hurt them if you could. I know you wouldn't."

He tries to speak, to fight against what him and admit it was his fault. But all that comes out is an ugly whine accompanied by tears. Even if he tries to hold them back, they keep falling. It was the one time he couldn't stop them.

"I'm sorry, Lio. I'm sure they loved you."

And it's then that he feels so limp, broken, weak. He presses himself against Galo, hands clinging onto the other man. He hated, _hated_ exposing himself like this. To show a weaker side to him. Not even Gueira or Meis had seen him like this. No one was supposed to. It was a side he would keep buried within until the day he returned to ashes.

But, he'd gone and spilled himself to Galo. Lio told him about his past, dug up old memories, and cried into his chest. To much had come out at once and he felt like an idiot.

Once he manages to breathe easy, stop his tears, reign some composure, he pushes himself away from the firefighter. As he does, he misses the warmth that came from being in such close contact with him. Lio clears his throat and pulls his arms back to cross them.

When he lifts his eyes to meet with Galo's, Lio is greeted with a warm and apologetic smile. The taller man brushes off some tears that stained his cheeks. If this were any other moment, he'd be surprised that Lio had let him do such a thing.

"You know, we can always go and visit them if you want."

"What…?"

"Uh," Galo pauses as he puts a hand under his chin. "You know, go to their grave?"

Oh. That's what he meant. Lio couldn't recall the last time he'd gone to see his parents. Had he ever gone back to them? After all he'd done to them, cause them nothing but trouble…he felt like he didn't have the right to see them again. And he was certain that his parents, even in death, felt the same.

Galo thought otherwise.

"Alright," he finally speaks. "Let's go see them."

~…~

The trip taken was sudden and silent between the two. The drive was miles away, far outside Promepolis. Galo swore he heard Lio mutter something about how it never seemed to be this far away before. Regardless, they kept going and going until they finally arrived at Lio's old home town.

And what used to be his home.

A house had been reconstructed over the one he'd once destroyed. A new family taking place. His own history forgotten. He couldn't bare to look at it for too long. Old memories resurfacing once again.

A hand was placed upon his shoulder and Lio glanced up. Galo didn't have to assure him that things would be okay. He knew the other would provide comfort if he broke down again. With an exhaled sigh, he decides to turn away from his old home.

"The cemetery isn't too far from here."

Lio's gaze drifts around the city, not focusing on anything in particular. Times had changed the buildings from when he was younger. The discrimination against Burnish wasn't as strong as it was in Promepolis, but the hatred was still rooted wherever they went. He couldn't find a familiar face amongst those in the streets, not that he was looking for anyone in particular. Lio was sure to burn every bridge built once becoming a Burnish.

At the cemetery's entrance, he leads the firefighter in. He knows exactly where to go, as if he'd been there the day the funeral happened and had been a frequent visitor ever since. He gulped as he stopped right where they lay.

Lio knelt down in front of their shared headstone. It wasn't anything fancy, he was hardly expecting one at all. Probably the cheapest thing the rest of his relatives could scrounge together in the wake of their sudden deaths.

He shut his eyes, placing the bouquet of flowers in between their names. He let his hand rest there, hand pressing against the cold stone. His throat felt dry, body beginning to feel weak again, stomach feeling like an empty pit. And yet…there was some strange feeling of relief washing over him. He couldn't dare to think he was happy to being seeing them. Not like this.

Was he supposed to say something? Talk to them? He didn't think so. And it felt too weird to speak to them with Galo hanging behind him. Maybe he'd keep it to himself, a silent prayer to them. That seemed more fitting.

"Bet your parents are glad I brought you, huh?"

Galo interrupts his thoughts. Lio turns his head, ready to call him an 'idiot' but…doesn't. Now wasn't the time for that.

Silently, he turns his head back to the grave, eyes shutting once more. He hangs his head and tries to think of a prayer. The only one that came to mind was the one said to Burnish who passed on.

When he's done, he gets to his feet. His gaze lingers on their names for a while. The day of their death.

"Let's go," he says, turning away from the headstones.

"Huh? You're not going to stay longer?" Galo asks, surprised. "Usually I spend an hour with my parents."

"Maybe next time."

As they walk back to the entrance, Lio comes to a stop. Concerned, Galo looks to him, ready to ask what's wrong or if he's changed his mind. Instead, the man turns his head, a weak smile on his face.

"Thank you, Galo. For making me come here."

He didn't quite get why he was thanking him for, but regardless, he'd respond-

"Any time, Lio."


End file.
